The present invention relates to computer-assisted training systems and, in particular, to a particularly effective mechanism by which a user of the training system is motivated to continue with a training program.
For some years now, many attempts have been made to harness the popularity and nearly addictive properties of computer and video training exercises for the purpose of training and education. Since arcade and home style video training exercises are generally controlled by one form or another of an electronic computer, all such training exercises, including those played using a general purpose computer, are referred to herein as computer training exercises. Computer training exercises have the advantage that the challenge itself is interesting to the user. For example, if the user is challenged to use user input devices to shoot and kill space aliens, the act of shooting and killing the space aliens is, for certain users, fin per se. In general, computer training exercises present a simulated threat to the user and give the user a simulated defense or weapon to overcome the simulated threat. Such tends to challenge the competitive spirit of the user and motivate the user to overcome the simulated threat.
Other computer training exercises simulate a direct competition between the user and a simulated or actual opponent. Such training exercises include racing and fighting training exercises in which the user respectively controls a vehicle to race an opponent""s vehicle through a race course or controls a fighting character to fight an opposing fighting character using user input devices. The opposing vehicle or fighting character can be controlled by the computer or by another user. These training exercises also challenge the competitive spirit of the user and motivate the user to out-perform the simulated or actual opponent.
Training programs typically include repetitive exercises to improve certain skills or cognitive abilities of the user. Some computer-based training programs use the simulated threat paradigm of computer training exercises to motivate the user to perform such repetitive training exercises. For example, the PalmPilot digital personal organizer available from US Robotics, Inc. of Skokie, Ill., includes a training process which teaches the user to use a special alphabet that the PalmPilot digital personal organizer can recognize through a touch-sensitive pad. In this training exercise, letters and numbers move down the screen, apparently at the user, to form a simulated threat. In response, the user can simulate destruction of the threatening letters and numbers by writing the threatening letters and numbers using the touch-sensitive pad. By presenting the user with a simulated threat and incorporating a training exercise into a simulated defense or weapon, the user can be motivated to perform the training exercise repeatedly. Such a training program can be relatively effective if the training exercise is readily adaptable to a simulated defense or weapon and the skills improved by the training exercise are relatively simple.
Certain training exercises do not lend themselves as readily to the threat/defense training exercise paradigm described above. For example, some training exercises are not so readily adapted to a simulated defense or weapon. An example of such a training exercise is the recognition of a language phoneme by the user, e.g., distinguishing xe2x80x9cshuxe2x80x9d from xe2x80x9cchu.xe2x80x9d In addition, some training programs are so long, e.g., more than one hour per day for several weeks, that even the threat/defense training exercise paradigm loses its motivation efficacy.
A particularly helpful computer-based training program is described in the above-referenced patent applications and patent and further in the Training Patent. The described training program involves student participation for more than one hour per day, at least five (5) days per week, for eight (8) weeks. Such a program is long and maintaining interest and motivation in the various training exercises over such a long program is of particular importance. Exacerbating the problem is the fact that the users of the described computer-based training program are children. In addition, the objects of the training exercise are language-oriented in nature and therefore do not lend themselves to, simulated weapons actuation as compared to relatively simple motor skills, e.g., typing, which are more relatively readily adaptable to simulated weapons actuation. What is therefore needed is a system for maintaining interest and motivation in the training exercises over the entire training program.
In accordance with the present invention, motivation mechanisms which are independent of stimuli of training exercises to which the user is to respond motivate the user to respond correctly and quickly to the stimuli. The stimuli of the training exercises are specifically selected and designed to challenge and improve a cognitive ability of the user. As a result, the manner in which the stimuli can be adapted to create and maintain interest of the user in the training exercises is significantly limited. Therefore, the motivation mechanisms of the training exercises therefore take on added importance.
A standardized token economy is used to motivate the user to respond correctly and quickly to stimuli of the training exercises. Points are awarded for correctly responding to stimuli and are the currency of the token economy. To add motivation, the points can be used as a currency to exchange for physical rewards such as toys, T-shirts, and even tickets to sporting events. The token economy is standardized in that the amount of points accumulated during use of one training exercise for a particular amount of time with a particular degree of proficiency is approximately equal to the amount of points accumulated during use of another training exercise for the same amount of time with the same degree of proficiency. Therefore, training exercises with particularly quick stimuli/response exchanges are not favored as xe2x80x9cpoint friendlyxe2x80x9d at the expense of training exercises in which time required to present stimuli and receive corresponding responses take longer. In this way, preference for particular training exercises based upon the quickness with which a user can accumulate points is avoided.
In addition, while the stimuli of the training exercises generally remain unchanged in substance and change only in terms of levels of difficulty, milestones of achievement are noted by changes in the context within which the training exercises are presented to the user. Such changes in context include changes in one or more characteristics of a scene within which the training exercise is displayed to the user. Each change of context is brought to attention with fanfare using a context change animation. For example, a janitor character is shown to paint a portion of the scene a different color in such a context change animation.
Progress indicators represent to the user progress toward a short term goal. Each correct response by the user to stimuli of a training exercise moves the progress indicator closer to a position indicating achievement of the short term goal. Each move of the progress indicator is smooth to give the appearance of progression rather than a discrete change in state. Such a move is in the form of a progress animation which is entertaining and which provides motivation to the user, both in terms of the entertainment value of the progress animation and in terms of the progression toward the short term goal.
These motivation mechanisms provide the user with significant motivation notwithstanding limitations in the nature and adaptation of stimuli presented to the user by various training exercises.